By: Clare Bruce
Only weeks ago, Christian organisations and entrepreneurs were sinking their teeth into their goals and dreams for 2020.
Now, for many, those dreams have unravelled in the COVID-19 shutdown.
John Beckett, the founder of Seed Academy, works as a mentor with leaders of Christian enterprises and ministries, and he’s watched many struggle with the rapid change that’s unfolding.
From financial strain and work drying up, to staff struggling to cope, and organisations questioning their entire business model, he has seen the full gamut of challenges.
“This has got to be a season where we take the opportunity to look at radical innovation around what we do.”
But John believes all is not lost—and that the current season is also an opportunity to recalibrate.
He’s inviting Christians working in business or ministry leadership, to attend a short-course called ‘Re:Imagine’—to help them do a complete makeover of the ‘new normal’ that lies ahead.
John said Seed helps people innovate to make the world a better place – making it purpose-built for a time such as this.
“We have a framework we call Redemptive Design, which helps people make things and create things that land in the world, and have some sort of redemptive purpose,” he said.
“As a faith-based organisation we work primarily with Christians who want to look at their foundational purpose, and then see how to create things that give the world a taste-and-see experience of what Jesus looks like.
“So we think this is purpose built for a season like this. Everybody is being forced to rebuild. Things will be considerably different for many months and years to come. This has got to be a season where we take the opportunity to look at radical innovation around what we do.”
It’s Time to Solidify Our ‘Why’
John is encouraging leaders of organisations to revisit their “Why” questions:
“It’s asking the question ‘Why were we put here?’
“Things have changed, so how can we now achieve what we believe God’s put on our hearts to achieve in the world in different ways, given the different circumstances that have changed around us?
“Our advice to organisations is, ‘Don’t just listen to the noise, take an opportunity to stop, and actually think through, ‘What are the steps that we need to take through this season that will give us firm foundations to build as things start to go back to some sense of normal?’ “
The one-week Re:Imagine short course will lead participants through a theory of change, using a set of tools to help them revisit their purpose and their foundational reasons for being, in a concrete way.
A coach will lead participants through a ‘Design Sprint’ session each morning for a week, with sessions recorded to allow for people unavailable at the scheduled time. There will be an hour or two of homework to do each day, and in the following week, participants will be given coaching to help them make an action plan for the season ahead. The first course runs online 27 April – 1 May.
Re:Imagine is open to any Christian who’s in a leadership position in business, small or medium enterprise, or for a Christian organisation.
Find out more or register for the course at seedacademy.org.au/p/re-imagine-2020.
Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.
About the Author: Clare is a digital journalist for the Broadcast Industry.